Carpenter&#39;s tool



Dec. 6, 1932. W. WE,` S 1,890,273

CARPENTERS TOL Filed sept. 9. 1931 Patented Dec. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES ,-PATENT'ioFFicE WILLIAM H. WELLS, or concern), MASSACHUSETTS e cnnrnn'rnns Toon Application filed September 9,1931.4 Serial No. 561,879.4 'l

This invention relates to hand tools adapted to be manipulated by carpenters to perform various functions.

The chief object of the invention is to provide a tool adapted to extract a fastener such as a nail or spike from a relatively inaccessible location, and without bending the fastener.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification and the drawingv The bar is bent from an originally straight form so that it includes a major portion 12,A

having a gradual curvature from end to end,

the curve having a long radius. For example,

when the length of the major portion is approximately two feet, the length .of said radius may be approximately six feet.

The major portion is provided at one end with a bifurcated extracting claw 13, having side faces 14 and 15 converging to a chisel edge, the face 14 being preferably inclined to offset the chisel edge from an imaginary continuation of the saliently curved side of the major portion shown by the dotted line 16, Figure 1.

The opposite end portion of the bar is bent to form an angular terminal comprising a neck 17 projecting inwardly from the saliently curved side of the major portion 12, and an arm 18 projecting from the neck and overhanging an end portion of thereentrantly curved side of the major portion, said arm forming theopposite end of the bar.

When the angular terminal'isintended to be used as a nail extractor I provide the arm 18 with a bifurcated chisel edged extracting claw 19, having a sideface 20, whichis preferably inclined to offset the edge'inwardly from an imaginary continuation ofthe outer side of thearm 18shown by the dotted line` 21, Figure 1.7V The claws of the major portion 12and arm18 face in the same direction as shown byFigures 1 and 2. 1 `Among the functions that may be performed by the described tool aregthosenext described. l

; A nail 22 driven in a relatively inaccessible y positioninto ,a structure portion 23, may be engaged by the claw of the major portion 12, as indicated by fulllines in Figure 3, and Y extracted by swinging theV major, portion 155 downward onl the flat surface of the portion 23..fromV the full line position to the'dotted line position. The. salientlyurved sideof themajor portion112 is thus caused to contact with the flat surface of the structure portion 23.at points of support, orfulcrum points, successively `increasing in distance from the nail, theresult being thatthe nail is extracted without being bent.

The major `portion claw be engaged with'a Vnail 24, driven into a structure member 25 undera course of shingles 26, as shown by Figurefl. Themaj or portion may 'then be rotated oniits longitudinal axis to extract a nail ,by-twisting lit aroundthe prongsofjthe claw, as indicated by Figure 5.v 4

The :major portion claw maybe engaged with a nail. 27, driven into' a structure'member 28, as shown by Figure 6 the 'major portion being. then turned `onits longitudinal axis to twist the nail and pull its head through the'inner side of the member 28. i Thisyoperation -is feasible vwhen the' nail is headless, orV has a relatively small head. Y t AThefangular terminal projeotinglaterally from the` maj orA portion 12 constitutes ahand grip to `facilitate the rotation/0r turning of the major portion on its longitudinal axis. M'IhemajorV .portionfclawrmay be inserted under a board 29, nailed to a member 30, as indicated byFigui-e 8,'"an'ldfthen swung downwardly and pushed further inward, as indicated by Figure 9, to cause .the saliently y curved side of the major. portion to bear on the member 30, at fulcrum points at succes- .1.00

sively increasing distances from the claw,

the tool being used in this way to detach a series of boards 29 from the member 30.

lThe angular terminal and the adjacent part` of the major portion 12 constitutes a socket adapted to be engaged as shown by full lines in Figure 10, with 'a member 32 to which boards 33 are nailed. The major portion 12 may then be swung to the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 10, to wrenchthe member 32 loose and remove it from the boards'33. f The arm 18 and neck 17 of they angular terminal meet to form a fulcrum orpoint of support 35 adapted tobearfon a flat surfaced structure 36 into which a nail 37 is driven.l The arm 18k constitutes the short arm of a lever of which thefneck 17 and the'major Vportion 12 yconstitutes the long arm. When the f y claw is engagedfwith the head of the nail r37,

force maybe exerted on the long arm to extract the nail allv as indicated by Figure 12.

-It is obvious that the tool may be used to perform various other functions/and is not A limited to those above described.

Y 'I he word nail as used herein is intendedto meana'spike oranyother fastener adapted to'be driven and extracted'like a nail.

As anV article of manufacture a carpenters tool composed of -a vmetal bar including a curved majorr portion having a continuous curve ofY long radius providinga lsalient outer side and a reentrant inner side, an extracting' n I claw at oneend of the major portion, and an angular terminal at the opposite end of said portion projecting inwardly from theinner side thereof, said terminal comprising a short f arm overhanz'qing a part ofthe inner side of f the major portion and a neckconnecting said arm withthe major portion, the'isalient outer v f side of the maj or portion providing a point of A support adapted toV bear Yon `a flat surface at .f

Y one'side of a driven nail engaged bythe claw,

and said point'of support being caused to progress outwardly from thenail when the tool is manipulated tov lift the claw, so that the nailmayvbe'extracted bv a nonfbending pull, the terminal, anda partof ythe major portion constituting asocket formed to engage a structure member and adapted to be v forcibly turned. by pressure lexerted on they major portion to wrench ksaid member loose, said terminal constituting a hand grip adapted to facilitate a .turning movementrof the tool on the longitudinal axis of the major portion to cause the claw of said major portion Y to exert a: twisting force on a nail and thereby extracttheV same. f i v In .testimony whereof I have aixed my signature.VV

'WILLIAM H. WELLS. 

